18 of NZ's Best New Indie Games Coming to PAX AUS
- Oct 3, 2025
- 2 min read
For the fourth year running, CODE brings together some of Aotearoa New Zealand's latest indie games to showcase at PAX Australia 2025.
With the support of our partners at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), CODE is excited to showcase some of our region's most creatively brilliant studios, with many games being unveiled publicly for the first time at PAX AUS.
Overall, our cohort has around 50 members attending Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW), for Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) and exhibiting at PAX AUS from 10-12 October 2025.
"It is an absolute pleasure to partner again with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to bring eighteen of Aotearoa's most exciting young teams to PAX Australia" says CODE's Industry Development Manager, Vee Pendergrast.
"Our homegrown Kiwi talent has brought a real highlight to the show floor since 2023 and our games are originated from an amazing group of creators from diverse backgrounds. Once again, we bring the Māori and Pasifika flare, the jank sense of humour and a bunch of Kiwi goodness which compliments the Australian lineup."
CODE’s booth at PAX AUS 2025 supports 18 studios to exhibit their games, from all corners of the country. This is only enabled by the generous support of its funders Kānoa – Aotearoa New Zealand’s Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, and Hīkina Whakatutuki Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and partners New Zealand Trade and Enterprise | Te Taurapa Tūhono (NZTE).
Discover the latest and greatest Aotearoa-made indie games on the PAX AUS expo floor at booth #1840.
Here's what we're bringing to PAX AUS:
Middle Management - Headplug Games 
Teeto - Eat Pant Games 
Davy Jones' Deckhand - Cass Bay Games 
Canvas City - Disc 2 Games 
Project Storm - Transformative Games 
Apothecurse - Lesser Key Studios 
Bashful Adoration - Kitty Wampus 
How Was Your Day? - Mad Carnival 
Headlice - Bunguin Games 
PlanetSmith - Incandescent Games 
Killing Things With Your Friends - Flightless 
Pinball Hero - Lazy Bones Games 
Clonebreaker - Wildboy Studios 
Shyftrs - Wicked Art Games 
Design & Conjure - Tiny Kiwi Games 
Ten Thousand Coins: The Golden Merchant - 
Adaptory - Stormcloak Games 
Dream Team Supreme - Big Adventure Games
Play the games, meet the makers. Click here to view the full asset packs for all NZ-made games available at PAX AUS.
New Zealand’s indie gaming scene has become much more visible lately, especially with events like PAX Australia giving smaller studios a chance to present creative ideas to a wider audience. A lot of players enjoy these communities because every game feels different, from experimental mechanics to unique storytelling styles that larger studios often avoid. The social side of gaming also keeps growing, since people constantly exchange opinions, reviews, and predictions online. While reading about new digital entertainment trends and interactive communities, I also came across the lucky coin platform, where discussions around sports analysis, game formats, and betting culture are presented in a way that feels connected to the broader entertainment space. It’s interesting how modern online communities now combine…